American Quartet Forefront Wins Barbershop World Championship After Seven Years Chasing Gold

Performed American Songbook classic "Georgia On My Mind," ballad "It Only Takes A Moment" and Jazz charts like "I Got Rhythm" --bit.ly/Quartet_Championship_content

 

Hailing from Indiana, Indianapolis, and Kentucky, Barbershop quartet Forefront (Drew Wheaton, tenor; Kevin Hughes, lead; Brian O'Dell, bass; Aaron Hughes, bari) took home the Barbershop World Quartet gold medal on Sat., July 9, winning over 58 quartets from around the world in Saturday night's finals at Bridgestone Arena.

Forefront's win comes after seven trips to the championship level, placing second in both 2014 and 2015.

The quartet mixed American songbook classic "Georgia On My Mind" with powerful ballads like "It Only Takes A Moment" and intricate jazz charts such as "I Got Rhythm," winning all three rounds of the competition, which began in Nashville on Wed., July 6.

The top 5 quartets were in order:

1. Forefront, 93.3%, from Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Kentucky 

2. Lemon Squeezy, 92.8%, from Stockholm, Sweden

3. Main Street, 92.6%, from Florida

4. Signature, 90.9%, from South Carolina and Florida

5. Throwback, 89.1%, from Pennsylvania and Florida

The quartet championship capped a week of contests and shows presented by the Barbershop Harmony Society and "A Better World Singing Day," which brought more than 7,000 to Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville on Sat., July 9.

Downloadable video and photos are available at bit.ly/Quartet_Championship_content.

 

About Barbershop Harmony Society: 

The purpose of the organization is to celebrate harmony in the barbershop style, promote fellowship and friendship, provide the opportunity to experience the joy of four-part a cappella singing, and to introduce and sustain music in the lives of people everywhere.

Website: barbershop.org

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